Willie hadfield



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

w. HADFIELD, J. JQSUMNER & H. HADPIELD.

' APPARATUS FOR WASHING PRINTERS BLANKBTS.

,5- Bate-nted June 11, 1895.

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(No Model.)

APPARATUS FOR WASHING PRINTERS BLANKETS.

Patented June 11, 1895.

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Application filed October 22, 1894. Serial No.526,567. (N model.)Patented in England July 2, 1894, No. 12,772, and in France U IT DSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIE HADFIELD, OSEPH OHNSON SUMNER, AND HENRY HADFIELD, OF

' FURNESS VALE, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR WASHING PRINTERS. BLANKETS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Fatent No. 540,735, dated June 11,1895.

October 13, 1894,110. 242,071.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, WILLIE HADFIELD, colorist, JOSEPH JOHNSON SUMNER,mechanic, and HENRY HADFIELD, manager, subjects of the Queen of GreatBritain and Ireland, residing at Furness Vale, in the county of Chester,England, have invented an Improvement in Apparatus for Washing PrintersBlankets, of which the following is a specification.

Our said invention relates to improved [means for washing and cleansingprinters blanketing, for which Letters Patent have been issued inEngland, No. 12,772, dated July 2, 1894., and in France, No. 242,071,dated October 13, 1894.

We provide a drum or curved or other surface around which the blanketingis passed or over which it is drawn. As it passes around or over thesaid drum or surface, the discolored face of the blanketing is subjectedto the operation of an oscillating scrubbing brush or of severaloscillating scrubbing brushes made of bristles or other suitablescrubbing or cleansing material. The said brushes are mounted onvibrating levers or frames which are made to oscillate very rapidly inthe direction of traverse of the blanket by reciprocating means the sameas or similar to the well known doffing comb motion in carding engines.The quick up and down scrubbing action of the brush or brushes on theblanketing is an extremely effective means of loosening, dislodging andremoving the discolorations and dirt on the blanketing, and is greatlysuperior to the action of the usual revolving brushes. In conjunctionwith the said rapidly oscillating brushes we also use spurt pipesdischarging water or other cleansing liquid upon theface of the blanket,and these spurt pipes are situated in positions relatively to the brushor brushes which will give the most favorable cleansing results. Theblanket lying .close upon the drum or surface around or over which itpasses, is presented unyieldingly to the action of the brush, so thatthe best results are obtained; but we might also apply the saidcleansing brushes to the blanket between the carrying rollers orsurfaces. As the spurt pipes play upon the face of the blanket only, theback is not To render our invention clearly understood we illustrate onthe accompanying two sheets of drawings an apparatus for carrying ourinvention into practical efiect.

On Sheet 1, Figure 1 is a vertical section of the apparatus at the lineA B, Fig. 3. Fig. 2 is a side elevationf'On Sheet 2, Fig. 3 is a plan.Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate a modified form of cleansing-brush.

The apparatus consists of a trough shaped chamber a supported by sidestandards (1'. Within this trough and supported in journals b, weprovide a drum 0 carried on an axle c and capable of being revolved bythe driving pulley 0 The blanket (indicated by the dotted line (2)passes partly around the drum 0, the face of the blanket being outward.Around the drum and situated at suitable points in the circumference, wearrange scrubbing brushes e oscillating in the direction of traverse ofthe blanket, three sets of brushes being shown, although we do notconfine ourselves to this.

The illustrated brushes are made of bristles e inserted into the backe,and the said brushes are carried by adjustable studs f, which projectthrough and can be adjusted in the vibrating bars g. These bars havepivot ends g which project through adjustable hearings in the sides ofthe trough and carry at one needlessly saturated and can be kept almostend of each, a lever h, the said levers appearing clearly in Fig. 2. Aside arm or lever t'is connected to all three levers h as shown in Fig.2 and the said arm i is connected to a quick running eccentric k on theend of the shaft in. The shaft is and eccentric are driven by the pulleyk which is connected by a belt to the pulley l on the axis of therevolving dry brush Z. The blanket d as it comes from the printingmachine in the direction of the arrow, is led first over the carryingroller m; next partly around the drum 0; thence over the carrying rollern; then to the backing roller 0 in passing under which it is subjectedto the action of the revolving dry brush 1, and afterward over therollers p, q and r to the drying apparatus. Just above the two uppermostbrushes e we arrange spurt pipes s s which discharge water or other suitable cleansing liquid upon the face of the blanket at just before andimmediately after it has been submitted to the action of the oscillatingscrubbing brushes e. By the means hereinbefore described, as the blankettravels around the drum 0 the face is submitted to the scrubbing andcleansing action of the reciprocating brushes 6 which act in conjunctionwith the water and thoroughly cleanse and wash the blanket face. Theblanket 1ying close to the surface of the drum 0, presents an unyieldingface to the brushes so that the best results are obtained. The spurtpipes act in conjunction with the brushes and as the cleansingliquid isdischarged only upon the face of the blanket, the back is not needlesslysaturated and can be kept quite or almost dry. After it leaves the drum0 the blanket as it passes under the backing roller 0 is acted upon bythe revolving dry brush Z. This brushes away a large proportion of themoisture left on the face of the blanket and enables us entirely todispense with squeezing rollers. The dry brush Z is driven from a pulleyZ as appears in Fig. 3. Any liquid that may fall into the trough is ledaway by the conduit 25 formed in the bottom of the trough.

In the example illustrated it will be noted that the lastbrushes 0 onthe left hand side of the drum do not extend across the full width ofthe blanket. In practice it is the outer edges of the blanket which areapt to become most foul, and therefore in practice we aim at subjectingthe edges to more prolonged treatment with the brushes than we thinknecessary in the case of the center of theblanketing. We do not howeverbind our selves to this.

It will be apparent that although we have described an effective anduseful mode of 0scillating the brushes e, other means for so oscillatingthem might be adopted. For example instead of oscillating them in acircular path from pivots as described, we might reciprocate them in astraight path and this might be efiected by means which will readilysuggest themselves to a skilled mechanic.

we consider that the use of cleansing brushes of the indicated natureand oscillating in the direction of the traverse of the blanket, is thegist of our invention and so long as these are used the mere arrangementof mechanism is not an essential. In our opinion it is a distinctadvantage that the said oscillating brushes should act upon the blanketas it is passing over a drum or roller or curved or other backingsurface, but such oscillating brushes might be applied between the saidcarrying rollers or surfaces.

As a modification of our invention we might use revolving brushes of adisk shape and traversing to and fro across the width of the cloth. Forexample in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings, the disk brushes u are or maybe mounted on a carrying bar 2; which is-oscillated to and fro acrossthe width of the blanket d as it moves round the roller 0. The shortspindle w of each brush carries a pulley a: by means of which the brushis rotated, and as the brushes revolve the carrier a is moved to and froso that the brushes have a species of compound action on the blanketing.The spurt pipes, trough and other adjuncts are used in conjunction withthese revolving disk brushes just as in the case of the oscillatingbrushes already described.

We claim as our invention 1. In combination with the drum and rollersfor guiding the blanket thereto, the brushes and means for reciprocatingsaid brushes in the direction of traverse of the blanket substantiallyas described.

2. In combination the drum, the guide rollers for directing the blanketabout the same, the oscillating brushes arranged on rocking shaftsarranged parallel with the face of the drum, and means for rocking thesaid shafts, substantially as described.

3. In combination, the drum, the guide rollers for directing theblankets about the same, the oscillating brushes arranged on rockingshafts, at the front, rear and bottom of the drum, the arms h connectedto the shafts and the reciprocating rod connected to the several arms h,substantially as described.

4. In combination, the drum and the rollers for guiding the blanket, thecleaning brushes, the backing roller 0, and the rotary drying brush Lunder the roller 0 arranged to remove the moisture from the blanket.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of twowitnesses.

WILLIE I-IADFIELD. JOSEPH JOHNSON SUMNER. HENRY I-IADFIELD.

\Vitnesses:

DAVID FULTON, JOSHUA ENTWISLE.

